The Department's initiative

The national Department of Education together with the Department of Higher Education and Training are committed to providing quality education for adult learners through Adult Education and Training (AET), which was previously known as Adult Basic Education and Training (ABET) that accommodates for adults and out-of-school youth, with adequate schooling and ensuring access to opportunities for further education and training opportunities.

Specifically it aims to :

Provide general education as the basic foundation that enables learners to develop their full potential and to engage in opportunities for further education and training and lifelong learning.

Develop literacy, language and communication skills in one or more languages, develop numeracy and mathematics skills.

AET programmes were established to redress the outcomes of the past social inequalities and to close the gap in education that existed pre - 1994. The AET centres are now called Community Learning Centres, which primarily target youth and adults who for various reasons did not complete their schooling or who never attended school.

Students are provided with:

• literacy,
• basic and secondary education,
• Vocational and occupational programmes.

With these new innovations, the Community Learning Centres under the Community College have now been re-assigned to the Minister of Higher Education and Training.

Community Colleges

The target audience to register at the community colleges is people over the age of 18, who never attempted to go to school, or left school in primary or secondary phase and those who attempted grade 12 and did not succeed. They also assist those who wish to improve their chances for entry into higher education and even working adults who wish to get matric.

The opportunities that are available at the community colleges include:
The Amended Senior Certificate: which is equivalent to matric and is considered as matric for adult learners
The General Education and Training Certificate for Adults (GETC) from AET level 4
Literacy for those who don't know how to read and write
Basic Adult Education for those who want to complete their primary level schooling

The requirements to study at the community colleges vary; depending on the programmes and what one wants to achieve at the college. The requirements for the Amended Senior Certificate are as follows:

Adult learner who is 21 years and older who has one of the following:

• A General Education and Training Certificate (GETC); or
• A Grade 9 school report (or the old standard seven), stating that they have passed Grade 9 or Standard 7; or
• A recognised equivalent qualification obtained at NQF Level 1 which requires two official languages.

Adult learners who are 21 years and older, who have passed some subjects for a Senior Certificate or a National Senior Certificate (NSC), who:

• Need to complete a Senior Certificate qualification/ matric
• Have an incomplete NSC, and whose School- Based Assessment (SBA) validity has expired;
• Candidates who did NSC in 2009, 2010 may apply to register

In exceptional cases; out of school youth, who are 18 - 20 years old and could not complete their school education due to circumstances beyond their control; can apply to the Head of Education in the Provincial Offices to write the exams if they have the following:

• A General Education and Training Certificate (GETC); or
• A Grade 9 school report (or the old standard seven), stating that they have passed Grade 9 or Standard 7; or
• A recognised equivalent qualification obtained at NQF Level which requires two official languages.

They may register at any provincial education office which includes:

• the provincial head office
• the district office
• Or a circuit office.

Candidates need to write six subjects and pass at least five subjects to qualify for a Senior Certificate. It is important to note that candidates for the Senior Certificate for adults will write their exams in June - July each year.

The requirements for the General Education and Training Certificate for Adults (GETC) are as follows:

Adult learners who are above 18 years and older who have attempted or never attempted schooling at all can be accommodated in exceptional cases even learners who dropped out of school.